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Reviews
Parker Kane (1990)
What a waste!
The credit roll tells you all you need to know about this film.
As I see the stars like Marisa Tomei and Stellan Skarsgård intertwined with every detective cliché combined with a bad 90's synth soundtrack, I knew this would be a loser.
And if that wasn't enough, the terrible 1st person narration in the first minute almost made me cry. Parker Kane slings his gun like a safety video on how not to handle a weapon, and the fight choreography is sad considering veteran stuntman Henry King has a featured role.
Really, this movie doesn't even rate a wiki page. Just sad how a good detective movie is totally wasted.
Land of the Dead (2005)
Just OK
I love zombie films, so you won't hear me comparing to Batman Returns. This is its own special genre, and has to be judged on different criteria.
Firstly, I thought the zombie scenes, well, lacked enough zombies. The zombies here seem to have numbered in the 10's, not exactly the "Land of the Dead". In the scene in the Day of the Dead when the lift descended completely full of zombies, it seemed like millions were still up top.
Secondly, there were not enough scenes of Dead Reckoning. Considering in the first scenes there were guys on motorcycles, what was the need for a tank? And if you built a zombie-proof armored vehicle, why would anyone ride in the open? Also when I saw the zombie hanging on the rear ladder, my first thought was why not have a retractable ladder? Then no zombies can sneak up to the top.
I also think there was too much lingering on the zombies. There is a truism about pushing the story forward, and watching zombies munch down on a person is shocking but does not make for good pacing. There was a lot of story to be told, which was taken up by the horror scenes.
I thought the performances were good, particularly Robert Joy and John Leguizamo. There wasn't enough scenes with Asia Argento, Simon Baker, and particularly Dennis Hopper. Considering Hopper had only a few but the best lines, it would have been nice to seem him interact more with the other actors.
Finally, I think Romero is too nice of a guy to make a truly vicious zombie film. There was no need to inject politics into this film. I think if Dead Reckoning simply mowed down zombies in every scene (which would think is what would happen if this was truly the "Land of the Dead"), this would be a better film.
Breezy (1973)
Sad Picture
It is sad but not because of the story or the acting. I see Bill Holden, who is playing his usually world-weary persona, in a counter-culture film with a very young Kay Lenz, who went from A-movie ingenue to a C-movie queen and a perennial TV guest star. Holden deserves better, and luckily a few years later he made "Network", one of the greats. Even Lenz should get better lines than the air-headed free-spirit she portrayed (although she is pretty hot here).
I was really surprised when I found out this was directed by Clint Eastwood.
"Play Misty For Me" was an excellent period piece, but this movie looks like a 70's TV exec concept of an cross generation love-story.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Freaked me out
I have been waiting for "Dawn Of The Dead" for weeks. My favorite movie as a youth is "The Omega Man", and this is a more visceral, exciting film. No morality plays or super heroes here. Just some very ordinary people who trying to survive the unimaginable.
The key to a film like this is seeing it in the right locale. I chose a theatre in the 'hood, and typical of urban filmgoers, the audience was unrestrained with their reactions. Even I started yelling directions at the screen (mostly like "Shoot her") when the survivors would do the stupidest things (I guess people in horror films have never seen a horror film).
Ving Rhames gave his usual superlative performance as an implacable police officer/bad ass. I especially liked Jake Weber as a nobody who rises to the occasion, but without any surfeit heroism.
There was little character development or social commentary, but you were at the wrong film if were expecting that. I liked the small touches, like the coffee bar's name, "Hallowed Grounds", or the relationship by binocular with the stranded gun shop owner across the road.
Bottom line, after my friends dropped me off, they politely waited until I got into my building before driving away. As I soon as I saw them pull off, I ran into the street chasing after them, like a zombie in the film. They were laughing madly as they sped away, just like they would if a real zombie was after them. I doubt I would have such a fun and spontaneous reaction if we had just come back from "The Seventh Seal".